1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an improvement in line post conductor fastener assemblies for line post tie tops for overhead distribution and transmission of electrical circuits. In particular, this invention provides a conductor fastening device with a base for mounting on standard type insulators, and a fastener element being rotatable on its base about an axis which is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the insulator on which it is mounted.
2. Background of the Invention
In conventional systems, where electrical cables are held by line post conductor clamps on clamp tops mounted on the post through porcelain insulators, some problems may be encountered. Vibrations, for example, caused by wind, may set up galloping in the cables. Galloping exerts considerable stresses and strains on the insulators themselves and may cause breakage. The conventional design of conductor clamps and line post clamp tops also requires considerable on-site assembly by the installer or repair person. The line post clamp top must be assembled with pivot pins in the appropriate orientation and the line post conductor clamp must be connected to it under operating conditions at the top of the post, which may not be ideal for this work. Examples of conventional line post clamp tops and line post conductor clamps are described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,239,902 (Goddard, Sept. 11, 1917), German Patent 426,784, (Mar. 19, 1926) and U.S. Pat. No. 3,737,560 (Takatori et al., June 5, 1973).
Line post clamp tops in common use have pivot pins for locating sockets of the conductor clamps so that the clamp itself has movement about an axis so that it may, to some extent, follow the movement of the cable to which it is clamped. Such a clamp top may be mounted atop a longitudinally upstanding insulator, that is, "vertically mounted", or it may be mounted at the end of a longitudinally horizontal insulator, that is, "horizontally mounted". In either situation, a fastening member, such as a vise, is pivotally mounted by pivot pins to a bracket connected to a base which is mounted to the insulator. The fastening member is mounted such that its pivotal axis is horizontal and orthogonal to the general direction of the clamped cable. This requires the provision of two types of bases: one type having the bracket oriented to provide proper pivoting for vertical mounting and a second type having its bracket oriented to provide proper pivoting for horizontal mounting. Besides requiring a different base for each type of mounting, this arrangement generally provides, for horizontally mounted insulators, a pivotal axis substantially coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the insulator while the cable itself is distanced from the axis This distance increases stress on the insulator, as the distance from the cable to the longitudinal axis induces a torque about the insulator top neck when the cable is subjected to a force.
The use of the present invention will also eliminate the need to acquire specialized line post tie tops which are adapted to receive a cable directly. In addition, the present invention can be used to replace the specialized pin type insulators which are currently used in heavy duty applications on high voltage transmission lines.